Quick Answer
To trial a Sony-compatible paper safely, test one grade in one printer against the Sony paper you use today. Print the same saved images on both, log what you see, and count prints per roll yourself. Durico ULSTAR-1100S is the compatible grade for Sony UPP-110S, and it fits the Sony UP-895/897/898 Series.
Sony Paper Grade to Durico Grade: Pick the Matching Pair
| Sony OEM paper | Sony Type | Durico equivalent | Roll size | Printer compatibility | PIS product page |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UPP-110S | Type I | Durico 1100S | 110mm × 20m | Sony UP-895/897/898 Series | Sony UPP-110S compatible standard paper |
| UPP-110HD | Type II | Durico 1100HD | 110mm × 20m | Sony UP-895/897/898 Series | Sony UPP-110HD compatible high-density paper |
| UPP-110HG | Type V | Durico 1100HG | 110mm × 18m | Sony UP-895/897/898 Series | Sony UPP-110HG compatible high-gloss paper |
The pairing is the first rule of a fair test. If you print on UPP-110HD today, test 1100HD, not 1100S. Changing the grade and the brand together tells you nothing about either. The UPP-110HG vs UPP-110HD vs UPP-110S comparison explains how the three grades differ, and the full Sony compatibility index lists every printer Durico documents.
Why a Trial Beats a Guess
Most clinics that consider a compatible paper are not worried about whether it exists. They are worried about what happens on the first busy morning: a faint print, a feed problem, or a sonographer who says the images look different. A short, structured trial turns those worries into observations you can write down. It also gives the person who signs the purchase order something better than a vendor's claim.
A trial is not a certification. Durico documents compatibility for specific printer series, and the FDA Registered and ISO certification explainer shows what its certifications do and do not mean. Your test answers the narrower question that matters to your site: does this paper behave well in this printer, with these images, in this workflow?
Step 1: Confirm the Printer and Pick One Unit
Read the model label on the printer before ordering anything. On the Sony UP-D898MD the model and serial label is on the bottom of the unit. If it reads UP-895, UP-897 or UP-898 Series (including the D and X variants and the DC model), it is inside Durico's documented range. If it does not, stop and use the guide to identifying which paper a system needs or the legacy Sony printer options guide first. Durico does not document compatibility outside its listed printer ranges.
Choose a single printer for the trial, ideally the one with the most predictable workload. Keep every other printer on its current paper so you always have a comparison and a fallback.
Step 2: Build Your Baseline on the Paper You Use Now
Before any new paper goes in, capture what good looks like. Print a small set of saved studies on your current Sony paper: a high-contrast image, a low-contrast image, one with fine detail, and one with annotations or text. Label the back of each print with the date, the printer, the paper and the settings. Those prints are your reference set. Without them, "it looks a little different" is an opinion; with them it is a side-by-side.
Write down the printer's current paper-type, brightness and contrast settings at the same time. They go on the test log below.
Step 3: Prepare the Printer
- Clean the thermal head if it has not been cleaned recently. A dirty head can mimic a paper problem. The thermal head cleaning guide covers the UP-D898MD and UP-X898MD.
- Load the new roll following the printer's normal procedure. The step-by-step loading guide walks through the UP-D898MD.
- Set the paper-type menu to the grade you loaded. The factory default on the UP-D898MD is the high-gloss setting, so a clinic loading standard or high-density paper needs to change it. The contrast, brightness and paper-type settings guide shows where.
- Leave brightness and contrast alone at first. Adjust one thing at a time, and only after the paper-type setting is right.
Step 4: Print the Same Images, Then Run Real Work
Print the identical reference set on the new paper. Then use it for ordinary exams through a normal stretch of the week, so the test includes the interruptions, the gel, the cart moves and the end-of-day rush that a bench test skips. Keep the trial to the one printer and keep the rest of the process unchanged: same sonographers, same settings, same filing.
What to Compare and How to Record It
| Check | What to look for | How to record it |
|---|---|---|
| Grayscale and black density | Gradation from dark to light, and how solid the blacks look next to the Sony baseline print | Rate the new print same, better or worse than baseline for each reference image |
| Surface | Does the finish match the grade you expected: matte for standard, semi-glossy for high-density, most glossy for high-gloss? | Yes or no, with a note |
| Feed and cutting | Smooth feeding, clean tearing along the cross direction, no jams or skewed prints | Count any feed problems and note when they happened |
| Flatness | Do prints lie flat for filing and scanning? | Run two or three through your scanner or chart process |
| Handling | Behavior with fingerprints and a stray drop of ultrasound gel, which Durico lists as a strength of the line | Note anything unexpected from normal handling |
| Prints per roll | Your own real number in your own workflow | Count from first print to last on the roll |
| Printer behavior | Any error messages or unusual sounds | Copy the message and the time |
Durico's literature describes the ULSTAR line in qualitative terms: highest black colour density, precise gradation of grey-scale, strong resistance to water, fingerprints and ultrasound gel drops, and minimal curling. It publishes no numeric figures for those properties, which is exactly why your own side-by-side is the meaningful test. Do not measure the prints against a number from anyone's marketing page.
If a print looks too dark or too light, check the paper-type setting before blaming the paper. The blank, faint and streaky print troubleshooting guide and the paper jam guide cover the usual causes of a bad result that are not about the paper at all.
A One-Page Test Log
Keep this on a clipboard by the printer or in a shared sheet. It needs only a few lines:
- Printer: model, label read, location.
- Current Sony paper: grade and settings used for the baseline prints.
- Trial paper: Durico grade, roll start date, paper-type setting used.
- Reference set: which images were printed on each paper and who compared them.
- Problems: date, what happened, what was tried.
- Prints from the roll: final count.
- Decision: switch, extend the trial, or stay put, with the sign-off names.
Step 5: Decide With Pre-Agreed Criteria
Agree before the trial what a pass looks like. For most clinics that means: reference prints judged equivalent to baseline by the people who read them, no unexplained feed or printer errors, prints that file and scan the way you need, and a prints-per-roll count that makes the cost per print acceptable. If you want these criteria in a form a purchasing office can use, the purchase specification guide shows what to put on a PO or RFQ.
If the trial fails on one point, change one variable and repeat: confirm the paper-type setting, clean the head, or retry with a fresh roll. If it still fails, you have a clear record to take back to the supplier. If it passes, roll the paper out printer by printer rather than all at once.
Warranty, Storage and Where to Keep Your Sony Stock
Keep any remaining Sony paper until the trial is signed off, so a bad day never leaves a printer without paper. Store unopened rolls of both brands in their individual pouches away from heat, direct sun and humidity; the unopened paper storage guide covers the details. For the warranty question that often sits behind a switch, the warranty guide explains what Sony's manual and consumer-protection law say. It is not legal advice, and it is a separate question from whether the paper performs.
Sizing the Trial Order
A trial needs one roll at minimum, and the 5-roll box of Durico 1100S gives you enough to cover a full roll plus spares for the baseline comparison. If the test passes and you want to reorder in larger quantities, the 5-roll versus 10-roll order-sizing guide helps choose a box size. Compatibility is identical either way.
Sony OEM (original equipment manufacturer, meaning Sony-branded) UPP-110S and UPP-110HD 10-roll cases at medical resellers typically run roughly $140–$295, depending on seller and grade, and prices move, so compare current quotes. Durico's own literature states its ULSTAR line offers a savings of 25–30% compared to competing products; treat that as Durico's published figure, not a guaranteed saving on any one quote.
| Durico SKU | 5-roll box | 10-roll box | In stock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Durico 1100S, Sony UPP-110S compatible | $43.95 | $82.95 | Yes |
| Durico 1100HD, Sony UPP-110HD compatible | $64.95 | $129.95 | Yes |
| Durico 1100HG, Sony UPP-110HG compatible | $64.95 | $129.95 | Yes |
Orders of $99 or more ship free; below that, shipping is a flat $7.95. Every ULSTAR roll is FDA Registered, made in South Korea under ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 13485, and sealed in its own foil pouch. The same trial approach works for large-format units: Durico 2100HD (Sony UPP-210HD compatible large-format paper, 210mm × 25m) is documented for the UP-970, UP-971, UP-990 and UP-991AD, and the UPP-210HD replacement guide has the details.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long should a trial of compatible ultrasound paper last?
Long enough to cover your normal mix of exams and at least one full roll from first print to last. For a single-printer clinic that is often a week or two. Durico does not publish a prints-per-roll figure, so count the prints you get from the roll yourself.
Which Durico grade should I test against my current Sony paper?
Match the grade. Durico 1100S is the compatible grade for Sony UPP-110S (Type I), Durico 1100HD for Sony UPP-110HD (Type II), and Durico 1100HG for Sony UPP-110HG (Type V). Testing a different grade than the one you use today changes two variables at once.
Do I need to change any printer settings for the test?
Set the printer's paper-type setting to the grade you load. On the Sony UP-D898MD that is the P.TYPE menu item, and a mismatch is a common cause of prints that look too dark or too light. Leave brightness and contrast at your normal values until the paper-type setting is correct.
Is a trial the same as a warranty decision?
No. A trial tells you how the paper behaves in your printer and workflow. Sony's manual and consumer-protection law bear on the warranty question, which is covered separately and is not legal advice.
Can I run the trial on a printer that is not a UP-895, UP-897 or UP-898 Series?
Durico documents compatibility for the Sony UP-895, UP-897 and UP-898 Series for its 110mm grades, and UP-970, UP-971, UP-990 and UP-991AD for 2100HD. Check the model label first. If your printer is outside those ranges, confirm fit before ordering.
Who should sign off on the switch?
Whoever uses and owns the output: the sonographers who print, the biomedical or clinical engineering contact who maintains the printer, and the practice manager who buys the paper. A one-page test log gives all three the same evidence.
The Bottom Line
A trial costs one roll and a few labeled prints, and it replaces guesswork with a record. Start with the matching grade, test it in one UP-895, UP-897 or UP-898 Series printer, and let your own images and your own prints-per-roll count make the decision. For most clinics the natural first test is Durico 1100S, the compatible replacement for Sony UPP-110S.
About Morgan Hayes
Morgan Hayes is the imaging supply specialist behind Precision Imaging Supply's resource center. With over a decade tracking the medical thermal printing market, Morgan helps imaging departments, OB/GYN clinics, veterinary practices, and independent ultrasound centers navigate the maze of printer-and-paper compatibility — including the Durico drop-in alternatives that save practices 30–50% versus OEM Sony media without compromising print quality.
Ready to run your own test? Shop Durico 1100S, the compatible replacement for Sony UPP-110S, Durico 1100HD, the compatible replacement for Sony UPP-110HD or Durico 1100HG, the compatible replacement for Sony UPP-110HG, in stock now at Precision Imaging Supply.